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Midnight Run

Midnight Run 1988, R, 126 min. Directed by Martin Brest, Starring Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, Yaphet Kotto. A bounty hunter and an embezzling accountant who’s jumped bail make for entertainingly mismatched traveling companions as they try to hightail it from New York to L.A. while also avoiding the Vegas mob and the FBI, which…

by Chronicle Staff

Selling Albums in a Spotify World

Selling Albums in a Spotify World Austin Convention Center, Friday, March 15 Only 30 folks showed up for the “panel about finding and building an audience and helping them do what it is they want.” If that’s an analogy for the way that albums are selling these days, this panel needs to think up some…

by Chase Hoffberger

Celso Piña

Celso Piña Mexican American Cultural Center, Friday, March 15 A free concert in the massive courtyard of the Mexican American Cultural Center, the Pan Americana showcase was noticeably more democratic than most official SXSW shows. No hierarchical lines separated the haves and have-nots and the old line proved perfect: “Badges? We don’t need no stinkin’…

by Thomas Fawcett

SXSW Film

Crisp shots and extremely strong performances by the leads make this film a must-see

by Monica Riese

Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode Brazos Hall, Friday, March 15 On Wednesday’s SXSW Interview panel, Depeche Mode spoke of its Festival showcase with a certain air of curiosity. For the veteran English trio, stadiums are par for the course, and while a warehouse in Austin pales in comparison to normal venues, the electronic OGs played with the same…

by Abby Johnston

‘Spin’ Party: Kendrick Lamar

‘Spin’ PARTY: Kendrick Lamar Stubb’s, Friday, March 15 “Who’s been fucking with me since day one?” So asked Compton’s Kendrick Lamar during his late-afternoon set for Spin’s annual day party at Stubb’s. While the dusty backyard bill boasted hot-ticket names like Solange and CHVRCHES, the crowd doubled when Lamar took the stage. The young rapper…

by Abby Johnston

Green Day

Green Day ACL Live at the Moody Theater, Friday, March 15 The Green Day of today rolls quite different from the Green Day of 1993. The latter band pulled up to Emo’s in a used bookmobile, loaded minimal equipment onto the stage themselves, and unleashed several short sharp shocks that suggested the Buzzcocks or Generation…

by Tim Stegall

Public Radio Rocks the SXSW Day Stage

Public Radio Rocks the SXSW Day Stage Austin Convention Center, Friday, March 15 Divine Fits has attacked SXSW with the desperate tenacity of an unknown band still looking for its break – not what you’d expect from a group led by two of the most successful indie rock songwriters of the past decade. On disc,…

by Austin Powell

Kadavar

Kadavar Rebels Honky Tonk, Friday, March 15 With the continuing swath cut through the rock underground by Me Decade-style hard rock bands, it was inevitable that the nebulously defined late-Sixties/early-Seventies garage grunge known as proto-metal would also undergo a revival. Swedish psych blues demons Graveyard rule that particular roost, but if this South by Southwest…

by Michael Toland

SXSW Film

Josh Johnson pays sweet homage to the video format that changed an industry

by Amy Smith

Frightened Rabbit, Alt-J

Frightened Rabbit, Alt-J Waterloo Records, Friday, March 15 Sunlight blessed and cursed the Waterloo parking lot. Sunblock proved no match for a parking lot stage enclosed by a chainlink fence, evaporating lotion perfuming the air. I’m not complaining, though, not when a band like Frightened Rabbit plays for free at an emporium for music. The…

by Luke Winkie

My SXSW

12mid, Brass House As an Austin musician, I get asked how I feel about the South by Southwest masses descending upon my city. The short answer: I love it. Yes, the traffic’s horrifying, and yes, it’s loud. But I get to play music all day long. I get to see bands I love, discover new…

by Chronicle Staff

Patty Griffin

Patty Griffin The Castle, Friday, March 15 It was the kind of record label party that doesn’t happen very often these days. Open bar, barbecue from Lamberts, a goody bag, and appearances by labelmates Steve Earle, Buddy Miller & Jim Lauderdale, and the Mastersons in a mission-styled church from the Twenties elaborately furnished into a…

by Jim Caligiuri

MOJO Recommends: Laura Mvula

11:45pm, VEVO TV Control Room Over the last decade, Britain has produced an impressive list of soul-influenced divas: Duffy, Amy Winehouse, and, lately, Adele. It would be tempting to add Laura Mvula to that list. It would also be wrong. For all the pop sensibilities that the 25-year-old Birmingham singer possesses, hers is not music…

by Chronicle Staff

Spotlight: Kid Congo & the Pink Monkey Birds

“I always liked the mixing of styles,” pioneering avant-garage punk guitarist Kid Congo Powers says from his current Washington, D.C., base. “When we started the Gun Club, the mixing of fast punk with blues hadn’t really been done. It was really inspired by what James Chance & the Contortions were doing: ‘Oh, he’s mixing James…

by Tim Stegall

Charlotte Church

Charlotte Church VEVO Tv Control Room, Friday, March 15 At 27, Charlotte Church has spent nearly half her life in the UK media spotlight. The Welsh songstress might have thought she was foiling the paparazzi with her gray bouffant wig and vaguely Victorian muumuu, but there was no mistaking the voice of the classically trained…

by Dan Oko

Mac Demarco

Mac Demarco Swan Dive, Friday, March 15 The first thing I see when I walk into the Swan Dive is a member of Mac DeMarco’s band flat on his back, eyes closed in the corner of the stage. I’m not sure if it’s a bad trip, a rough night, or simply some much-needed shut-eye in…

by Luke Winkie

Phosphorescent

Phosphorescent Bar 96, Friday, March 15 Phosphorescent toured hard for two years behind 2010 breakthrough Here’s to Taking It Easy, drugs, booze, and infidelity doled out in near-equal measure. “I lost the place, lost the girl, and lost my mind,” leader Matthew Houck conceded recently to Pitchfork. He stumbled upon something truly remarkable in return:…

by Austin Powell

Playback

Hashtag Everything Guess I’m easily impressed with the application of social media technologies. Earlier this week, I saw a gumball machine that runs off tweets instead of quarters and thought, “Well, I guess they’ve done everything now.” Then, last night, I watched LL Cool J and Z-Trip perform inside a colossal Doritos vending machine called…

by Kevin Curtin

FIDLAR

FIDLAR Clive Bar, Friday, March 15 Coke, crack, smack, dope, whatever. Whatever you got, these little fucks in FIDLAR sure want. And like the punk vagabonds the four young Los Angeles masochists are, they’ll take every occasion they can get to remind you just how badly they could use a fix. “South by Southwest, where…

by Chase Hoffberger

SXSW Film

A look at the family dynamics and musical exuberance of Chicago’s Hypnotic Brass Ensemble

by Kate X Messer

Eric Burdon, Lost Brothers, Howlin’ Brothers

Eric Burdon, Lost Brothers, Howlin’ Brothers Stage on Sixth Patio, Friday, March 15 If last year’s SXSW announced the resurrection of Eric Burdon behind Bruce Springsteen’s keynote praise, then this year cemented the comeback as the Animal and War monger returned with an impressive new album and unabated fire onstage. Before Burdon blew away the…

by Doug Freeman

Songwriter Session: Richard Thompson

Songwriter Session: Richard Thompson Austin Convention Center, Friday, March 15 No less an authority than Elvis Costello calls Richard Thompson the greatest songwriter Britain has ever produced. Hearing him delve into the details of his craft, his trusty Lowden by his side, only reinforced that sentiment. Thompson spoke about his early inspirations – jazz, Scottish…

by Michael Toland

The Flaming Lips, Jim James

The Flaming lips, Jim James Auditorium Shores, Friday, March 15 Jim James’ spiritually inclined, soul-searing trip-hop-rock felt like church, dark and sacred. From the opening strains of “State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.)” to the meditative minor key of “All Is Forgiven,” the My Morning Jacket frontman ministered to all those present, and it was transcendent.…

by Melanie Haupt

SXSW Conversation: Bootsy Collins & Chuck D

SXSW Conversation: Bootsy Collins & Chuck D Austin Convention Center, Friday, March 15 Words alone can’t do the funk-rap continuum justice, but when Bootsy Collins recounts his musical evolution to Chuck D, being in the room is enough. Garbed in an oversized silver top hat and trademark sunglasses, Collins defined funk as “making something out…

by Greg Beets

Japan Nite

Japan Nite Elysium, Friday, March 15 Don’t let the name fool you. Kao=S banishes carnage: graceful, passionate, but controlled, fusing epic rock sensibilities with Noh theatre formality. The voice of Kaori Kawabuchi – fox-masked singer, katana-wielding dancer – weaves into Daisuke Kaminaga’s flutes. Glimpse the combat boots beneath her kimono, the frontwoman back-to-back with guitarist…

by Richard Whittaker

I’m Just Dead, I’m Not Gone: Life & Times of Jim Dickinson

I’M JUST DEAD, I’M NOT GONE: LIFE & TIMES OF JIM DICKINSON Austin Convention Center, Friday, March 15 Memphis’ Jim Dickinson, whether you realize it or not, had been at the heart of rock & roll from its inception until his death at 67 in 2009. Musician on historic records – his piano’s on the…

by Tim Stegall

Cheatahs

Cheatahs Club de Ville, Friday, March 15 On any given night in any given town, Cheatahs would be perfectly serviceable architects of the early-Nineties drone pop revival. The London quartet had all the sonic elements in place to deliver a mesmerizing performance, but on Friday night, they fell frustratingly short of delivering on their frenzied…

by Greg Beets

Red Menace: Cuba’s Heavy Metal Underground

Red Menace: Cuba’s Heavy Metal Underground Austin Convention Center, Friday, March 15 “There’s a Cuban culture and we are not a part of that,” said Joel Anderson of Cuban metal band the Ancestor. “We’re part of that only when it’s convenient. When the government wants to do something for the long-haired youth, they give us…

by Thomas Fawcett

Terakaft

Terakaft Speakeasy, Friday, March 15 Not unexpectedly, some of the members of Malian band Terakaft, which means caravan in their native language Tamasheq, had visa problems and weren’t able to make it into the United States. The two lead forces behind the group, guitarists/vocalists Samou Ag Ahmed and Liya Ag Ablil, arrived in Austin, however,…

by Jim Caligiuri

SXSW 2013 Records

Wild Belle Isles (Columbia) Call it the Taylor Swift effect: girl meets boy, boy breaks girl’s heart, girl writes a million catchy songs about it. Chicago siblings Natalie and Elliot Bergman weave reggae influences into an indie rock ethos on a debut preoccupied with matters of the heart. “Keep You” embodies the tension, irresistibly seductive…

by Melanie Haupt

SXSW 2013 Records

White Lung Sorry (Deranged) Bare your teeth and write songs like thunderstorms. Noisy Vancouver quartet White Lung fashion serrated hardcore out of rain-soaked squall. Sophomore album Sorry lasts an appetizing 19 minutes; anything more might melt the plastic. Mish Way, who clocks hours as a reputable writer herself, thrives on the ropes, yelling out the…

by Luke Winkie

SXSW 2013 Records

The Flaming Lips The Terror (Warner Bros.) In space, no one can hear you scream, but here’s what it would sound like if Wayne Coyne tried. Whereas 2009’s Embryonic represented a cosmic reawakening for the Flaming Lips, signaling a new direction for the experimental Okies’ third decade, the band’s 13th studio album retreats further to…

by Austin Powell

SXSW 2013 Records

Chelsea Light Moving (Matador) Sonic Youth mourners will welcome the debut from Chelsea Light Moving, the latest from Thurston Moore. Liberation and noisy calibration still drive the on-hiatus Youth. Flexing old-school muscle, the post-punk guitar god and underrated wordsmith name-checks junky beatnik William S. Burroughs and the late poet Frank O’Hara, but never resorts to…

by Dan Oko

SXSW 2013 Records

East Cameron Folkcore For Sale East Cameron Folkcore’s sophomore album offers a bold statement, not only for the band, but for the times. Opening with lines from Mario Savio’s famous 1964 “put your bodies upon the gears” speech at UC Berkeley, the local 11-piece outfit plays voice to a new generation of disaffected youth saddled…

by Doug Freeman

Sweet Tooth Satisfaction

Ice Cream The proprietors of Lick (2032 S. Lamar) not only source milk, cream, and eggs locally but also the fruits, vegetables, and herbs used to create their distinctive flavors. Miles of Chocolate One bite of this dense chocolate brownie-truffle hybrid will make your eyes roll back in your head with pleasure; good thing local…

by Virginia B. Wood

Live Shots

Daptone Soul RevUE ACL Live at the Moody Theater, Thursday, March 14 Towering high above the ACL Live stage hung a black-and-white banner that said it all: “Presenting the Unstoppable Daptone Records Super Soul Revue!” The Brooklyn soul train has been chugging along the tracks for more than a decade now and – as this…

by Thomas Fawcett

Album of the Year

RUNNERS-UP: Let It Burn (Blue Corn), Ruthie Foster; High, Wide and Handsome, the Trishas; Big Station (Fantasy), Alejandro Escovedo; Working Girl’s Guitar (Bloodshot), Rosie Flores; Oozy (Nat Geo Music), Brownout; Church on Monday (Cherrywood Records), Elias Haslanger; Leelanau (Antenna Farm Records), Dana Falconberry; Say Yes, Akina Adderley & the Vintage Playboys; Night & Day, Suite…

by Chronicle Staff

Best Punk

RUNNERS-UP: Adrian & the Sickness, Krum Bums, The Midgetmen, Squint, Thieves, Riverboat Gamblers, The Beat Dolls, Residual Kid, We Paint the Town

by Chronicle Staff

SXSW 2013 Records

Unknown Mortal Orchestra II (Jagjaguar) New Zealand native Ruban Nielson’s psychedelicized, lo-fi safari scored out of the box on intrigue alone, but sustaining that initial buzz across Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s debut was a stretch. With album No. 2, Nielson augments his colorful canvas with a new level of cohesion that seals the deal. Much credit…

by Greg Beets

SXSW 2013 Records

Angel Haze might be better known for her beef with fellow rapper Azealia Banks, but she’s earned plenty of credence on the New York EP. With quick, oscillating chirps over cold, industrial beats, she pulverizes “Werkin Girls” like the Big Apple’s her oyster: “I’m sweeping you while I’m dusting/I just popped up out the blue/I’m…

by Luke Winkie

SXSW 2013 Records

Local Natives Hummingbird (Frenchkiss) Effervescent pop from Local Natives’ 2010 debut Gorilla Manor scored raves, so in avoiding the sophomore slump, these harmonic L.A. rockers grew through the pain – bassist Andy Hamm departed, angel-voiced keyboardist Kelcey Ayer’s mom died – to evince pleasure. Produced in New York by Aaron Dessner (of the National), Hummingbird’s…

by Dan Oko

SXSW 2013 Records

Skratch Bastid & the Gaff Soul Sisters Stand Up! Attention DJs: If you’re planning to make an all-female soul mix, don’t bother. Canadian duo Skratch Bastid (a three-time Scribble Jam winner) & the Gaff just shut that whole shit down with the definitive mixtape on the subject. In this digital age, mixtapes (a nostalgic misnomer)…

by Thomas Fawcett

SXSW Saturday Picks and Sleepers

SATURDAY PICKS LEVON HELM TRIBUTE 12:30pm, Auditorium Shores Backbeat of the Band and one of the most iconic voices in American music, Levon Helm gets a fitting tribute on Auditorium Shores’ main stage. Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Los Lonely Boys, JJ Grey & Mofro, James Hunter, and Spirit Family Reunion pay respects with…

by Chronicle Staff

SXSW 2013 Records

Spray Paint LP (S.S. Records) When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth stomps a wild rumpus of double everything – guitars, bass, drums, and shriek. Satellite Austin trio Spray Paint not only strips back the Dinos’ gargantuan clatter, guitarists/vocalists George Dishner and Cory Plump with drummer Chris Stephenson (also Dikes of Holland) nudge post-punk from its latter-day…

by Raoul Hernandez

Mr. Smarty Pants Knows

On average, in America, it takes a person 25.4 minutes to get to work. Howard William Cosell (1918-1995), born Howard William Cohen, was originally a lawyer. Some of his clients were athletes, including Willie Mays. He began his broadcasting career hosting a radio show with Little League players. Duncan Hines was a traveling salesman. The…

by Mr. Smarty Pants

Live Shots

The Enemy Austin Music Hall, Thursday, March 14 Austin Music Hall? It’s an echoing cavern, and with only a modest core of dedicated fans present here, those acoustics could’ve swallowed an echo-happy big-gesture group like U2. Yet Coventry, UK’s the Enemy beat the crud-o-phonic sound down with aplomb, attacking its soaring anthems with fire and…

by Tim Stegall

MOJO Recommends: The Staves

Family’s important when it comes to the Staves. Not only are the band comprised of sisters – that’s Emily (29), Jessica (25), and Camilla (23) – but their debut album was produced by an unlikely double act: the father-and-son production duo of Glyn and Ethan Johns. The first, of course, boasts a CV that reads…

by Chronicle Staff

Masquerade

A galloping box-office success in its home country of South Korea, this film is a 17th century historical drama that, at heart, is really a comedy.

by Marjorie Baumgarten

Song of the Year

RUNNERS-UP: “Travis County,” by Gary Clark Jr.; “All I Can Do,” by Teal Collins & Barbara Nesbitt for the Whiskey Sisters; “Mother of Invention,” by Jamie Wilson & Natalie Hemby for the Trishas; “Pocket Full of Misery,” by Hal Vorpahl for Uncle Lucius; “South of the River,” by Ray Wylie Hubbard; “Honeypot,” by Bob Schneider;…

by Chronicle Staff

Best Rock

RUNNERS-UP: The Whiskey Sisters, Marmalakes, Wheelers Brothers, Quiet Company, Vallejo, Sorne, Eric Tessmer Band, Bob Schneider, Not in the Face

by Chronicle Staff

SXSW 2013 Records

Paws Cokefloat! (Fat Cat Records) On Paws’ first LP, the young Scottish trio sinks pop hooks into hazy, lyric-driven grunge. Singer/guitarist Phillip Taylor’s walkie-talkie vocals wail sentimental diary entries of childhood recollections, grudges, and emotional baggage with surprising success. Often it’s literal, like the ode-to-my-deadbeat-dad slow jam “Get Bent,” where Taylor sings: “Fuck you, I…

by Kevin Curtin

SXSW 2013 Records

Howlin’ Brothers Howl (Readymade) Forget suspender folk. Howlin’ Brothers use the same acoustic instruments as Mumford and their ilk, but musically this Nashville trio comes from a place much deeper and falls somewhere between Austin’s Bad Livers and O Brother, Where Art Thou? backline the Soggy Bottom Boys. Demonstrating that their hearts are in the…

by Jim Caligiuri

SXSW 2013 Records

The Mavericks In Time (Valory) In their original 1989-2003 run, the Mavericks achieved considerable success with an expansive approach that encompassed trad honky-tonk twang, old-school rock & roll swagger, swoony balladry, and frontman/songwriter Raul Malo’s sublimely expressive singing. This reunion effort picks up where the band left off, marshaling the members’ multiple strengths on such…

by Scott Schinder

SXSW 2013 Records

Mac DeMarco 2 (Captured Tracks) Mac DeMarco might like you; he might not. The 22-year-old Montreal songwriter stays in shady ambiguity on debut album 2. He sings about weed, he sings about a bad father, he sings about doing nothing until it stops being fun. The balmy regularity of his guitar might be his only…

by Luke Winkie

SXSW 2013 Records

Hi Rhythm On the Loose (Fat Possum) What happens when you kick all the stars out and let the house band rule the roost? If it’s 1976 and you’re Memphis’ Hi Records – home of Southern soul giants Al Green, O.V. Wright, and Ann Peebles – you get a record that sounds like Al Green…

by Thomas Fawcett

Headlines

› City Council closed the deal with National Instruments Corp. last week and will take a look at regulating ridesharing next week, but is on SXSW hiatus this week. When they next meet March 21, members will reconsider what to do about rewriting “project dormancy” regs and spend some time on parking: see “Council Notes:…

by Chronicle Staff

Ballroom Dancing

SXSW Keynote: Dave Grohl Austin Convention Center, Thursday, March 14 As Foo Fighters’ frontman and former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl made clear during his keynote, he’s not your father’s rock star. That would have been Bruce Springsteen, who last year shared that his early influences included the late Roy Orbison, the still-recording Eric Burdon, and…

by Dan Oko

SXSW Film

A sprawling cast of up-and-coming 7- and 8-year-olds make this a surprisingly fun documentary

by Joe O'Connell

Best Roots Rock

RUNNERS-UP: Wild Child, The Whiskey Sisters, Uncle Lucius, Whiskey Shivers, Reckless Kelly, Band of Heathens, Not in the Face, Shakey Graves, Alejandro Escovedo, Ulrich Ellison & Tribe, Nick Curran

by Chronicle Staff

Best Local Label

RUNNERS-UP: Deep South Austin Records, Chicken Ranch Records, Saustex Records, VMG, Playing in Traffic Records, Vagabond Collective, Sonora Records, Modern Outsider, Steady Boy Records

by Chronicle Staff

SXSW 2013 Records

Café Tacuba Objeto Antes Llamado Disco (Universal Music Latino) Until No Line on the Horizon, U2 didn’t make bad albums. Café Tacuba, granted, only two decades vested, happily picks up the mantle. Seven studio discs since 1992, the Mexico City foursome sounds impossibly fresh, effortless, and more confident with each passing keeper. Imagine Radiohead pogo,…

by Raoul Hernandez

SXSW 2013 Records

Sound City Real to Reel (RCA) Dave Grohl put the Foo Fighters on hiatus to film a documentary on L.A.’s Sound City Studios, recording genesis of many a classic album, including Nirvana’s Nevermind. It needs a soundtrack. Rather than a collection of famed tracks recorded across Sound City’s history, Grohl instead records 11 new original…

by Tim Stegall

SXSW 2013 Records

The Skatalites Walk With Me (Wrasse) Before dubstep came reggae, and before reggae came ska, Lester Sterling made history backing Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Jimmy Cliff. At 77, he still blows his golden alto sax. Witness Walk With Me, an imported mix of new and re-recorded numbers by the Jamaican legend and his seven…

by Dan Oko

SXSW 2013 Records

Anders & Kendall Wild Chorus (Nine Mile) Longtime pals Anders Parker (ex-Varnaline, current solo auteur and Jay Farrar associate) and Kendall Meade (leader of indie act Mascott) have entwined voices on nearly every project the former has done, but Wild Chorus constitutes the first full-on confab. The volume stays low mostly, but modesty works to…

by Michael Toland

Live Shots

Pissed Jeans 1100 Warehouse, Thursday, march 14 From the moment they took the stage at Thursday’s Pitchfork showcase, a distinct air of anger surrounded Pissed Jeans. First, singer Matt Korvette told the crowd they still had time to go see David Bowie jam with the Foo Fighters. When that didn’t work, the Allentown, Pa., quartet…

by Greg Beets

Like Someone in Love

The latest film from Iranian filmmaking legend Abbas Kiarostami is set in Japan and looks at some characters playing out approximations of love.

by Leah Churner

Best Blues/Soul/Funk

RUNNERS-UP: Ruthie Foster, Suite 709, Eric Tessmer Band, Black Joe Lewis, The Peterson Brothers, Soul Track Mind, Carolyn Wonderland, Guy Forsyth Band, Churchwood

by Chronicle Staff

Best U-18 Band

RUNNERS-UP: Residual Kid, The Seaside Swifts, 24-7, Circus, The Bare Feat, Austin Girls’ Choir, Ruby Jane Smith, Schmillion, Sinsored

by Chronicle Staff

Best New Club

RUNNERS-UP: Holy Mountain, Beauty Ballroom, Sahara Lounge, Frontier Bar, One-2-One, Metal and Lace, Moontower Saloon, Handlebar, Kingdom (2011)

by Chronicle Staff

SXSW 2013 Records

Feathers If All Here Now (NYX) Before releasing anything, Austin femme quartet Feathers already stood on line internationally. Opening for heavyweights like Robyn and Washed Out, and tapped for a spot at the UK’s All Tomorrow’s Parties, the fashionable foursome lights up right out of the gate on full-length debut If All Here Now. Led…

by Abby Johnston

SXSW 2013 Records

The Como Mamas Get an Understanding (Daptone) Proving it’s as interested in the root as the fruit, indie soul standard-bearer Daptone continues its foray into traditional gospel with the praise songs of the Como Mamas. Hailing from the hardscrabble town of Como, Mississippi, the mamas in question are Ester Mae Smith and sisters Della Daniels…

by Thomas Fawcett

SXSW 2013 Records

Phosphorescent Muchacho (Dead Oceans) Matthew Houck’s old-vine voice grounds Phosphorescent, distinctively gnarled and complex. Muchacho, however, shifts the focal point to his pained songwriting and commanding band. A decade in, the Brooklyn transplant continues surveying his back roads of New Weird America: “A Charm/A Blade” reprises the broken, one-man choir that surfaced on his third…

by Austin Powell

SXSW Wednesday Picks and Sleepers

Wednesday Picks BROWNOUT 7:25pm, Austin Music Hall; Fri., 12mid, Copa Gone are the days of Brownout being the musical stepchild of Grupo Fantasma. Austin’s ninepiece Latin funk orchestra remains a force of nature in its own right. Taking cues from early Santana, War, and the Meters, Brownout’s 2012 release Oozy secretes stickier than Texas in…

by Chronicle Staff

SXSW 2013 Records

The Boxing Lesson Big Hits! (Frenchie Smith) Hard to be cosmic and stay grounded at the same time, but Austin’s acid star the Boxing Lesson does so on Big Hits!. The trio’s high-octane blend of earthy hooks and psychedelic astronomy gels to perfection under the guidance of Chris “Frenchie” Smith (Sixteen Deluxe), on whose new…

by Michael Toland

Ballroom Dancing

50 Years of the Beatles Austin Convention Center, Thursday, March 14 First of all, there were only 13 years. Nevertheless, the point of this Grammy Museum-organized meeting of the minds – moderator Bob Santelli from the museum, rock journalist Bill Flanagan, and widely spanning singer-songwriters Robyn Hitchcock, Rodney Crowell, and Ron Sexsmith – was to…

by Tim Stegall

Live Shots

Big K.R.I.T. Lustre Pearl, Thursday, March 14 We fell for Big K.R.I.T. – for his earnestness. Plenty of Southern rappers like to party, but few do it with such integrity, self-awareness, and grace. K.R.I.T. loves and loathes the game and the players. He’s got real soul, from the wheelbarrow R&B rust in his production to…

by Luke Winkie

Best Country/Bluegrass

RUNNERS-UP: The Whiskey Sisters, Dale Watson & His Lone Stars, The Trishas, Texas Bluegrass Massacre, The Derailers, Them Duqaines, The Wagoneers, Mike & the Moonpies, Josh Abbott Band

by Chronicle Staff

Best World Music

RUNNERS-UP: Hard Proof, Austin Samba School, Morena Soul, El Tule, Zoumountchi, Los Bad Apples, The Mau Mau Chaplains, Naga Valli, Grupo Fantasma

by Chronicle Staff

Best Producer

RUNNERS-UP: AJ Vallejo, Ryan Radar, Drew Smith, Francis Preve, David Dressen, Danny Reisch, Frenchie Smith, Ben Kweller, Adrian Quesada

by Chronicle Staff

SXSW 2013 Records

Sons of Fathers Burning Days (Blanco River Music) The remarkably short time frame in which these CenTexans have followed up their acclaimed 2011 debut demonstrates the continued growth as songwriters and producers (with an assist from Lloyd Maines) of David Beck and Paul Cauthen. Burning Days finds the pair leading a group that expands upon…

by Melanie Haupt

SXSW 2013 Records

The James Hunter Six Minute by Minute (Go/Fantasy) More than 20 years together, James Hunter’s newly anointed Six demonstrate bonded loyalty in sound. Minute by Minute follows the format of the R&B hawk’s two previous discs, including 2006’s Grammy-nominated People Gonna Talk, unremitting Northern UK soul so authentic it’s seemingly beamed from the Sixties. This…

by Jim Caligiuri

SXSW 2013 Records

Hip-hop lives both on the streets and in the make-believe. I’m a killer, I’m a pimp, I’m a dope dealer, but really I work at Blockbuster. As the music industry continues folding in on itself, the mixtape focuses the buzz without sucking up capital. Houston rapper Riff Raff has the MTV, NBA, BET, and WorldStarHipHop…

by Luke Winkie

SXSW Interview: The Specials

“We felt a bit like a gang,” supposes Specials guitarist Roddy “Radiation” Byers, of the days his now-reformed band ruled Britannia with a punk/reggae hybrid the Clash coveted. Late-Seventies England was rife with “unemployment, racists and general discontent,” Byers continues. “Which, as we were surrounded by it, became the subject matter for our songs.” Indeed,…

by Tim Stegall

SXSW 2013 Records

HolySexyBastards Rock & roll remains the universal language, so it’s no great shock that Venezuelan power trio HolySexyBastards performs in perfect English. With punk, garage rock, and power pop as key ingredients in the band’s cake mix, the 14 tracks on its debut platter come short, sharp, and shocked. The hot ‘n’ horny “Perfect Ten”…

by Michael Toland

Civics 101

Thursday 14 LGBT WORKPLACE PROTECTION CALL TO ACTION Take a civic-minded stroll around the Capitol holding signs like, “STOP WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION – PASS SB 237 NOW.” Check Get Equal’s Facebook page for details. Texas State Capitol, 1100 Congress, 305-8400. www.facebook.com/GetEQUAL.TX/events. Saturday 16 AUSTIN SUSTAINABLE SWAP Bring the bounty from your garden or a craft you…

by Chronicle Staff

Down Home and Chicken-Fried … Steak, That Is

Jack Allen’s Kitchen (7720 Hwy. 71 West) This one is made with tenderized New York strip and smothered in green chile gravy. My vote for the best chicken-fried steak in town. Hoover’s (2002 Manor Rd.) This CFS has an extra-crisp fry over tender meat and a smoky bacon gravy that’s worth every calorie. Don’t skimp;…

by Rachel Feit

Live Shots

Braids Swan Dive, Thursday, March 14 In a brief set only 25 minutes and four songs long, Braids kicked off the second night of an embarrassment of Montreal riches with the sweet bleeps of “Peach Wedding,” Raphaelle Standell-Preston’s vocals a bit buried in the swirling samples, loops, and layers as she fiddled with knobs on…

by Melanie Haupt

Best Cover Band

RUNNERS-UP: More Cowbell, Cover Girl, Encore, The Vintage 15, Think Lizzy, Lazer, Frank Gomez Band, Skyrocket, Hell’s Belles

by Chronicle Staff

Best Acoustic Guitar

RUNNERS-UP: Nolan Wheeler, Wheeler Brothers; Guy Forsyth; Van Wilks; Bob Schneider; Monte Montgomery; Junior Sandoval, Los Texas Wranglers; Shakey Graves; Chase Weinacht, Marmalakes; Barbara Nesbitt, the Whiskey Sisters

by Chronicle Staff

Best Radio Music Program

RUNNERS-UP: Eklektikos, John Aielli, KUT FM; Chillville, Ray Seggern, 101X; Dudley and Bob, KLBJ FM; Jason and Deb, 101X; Blue Monday, Larry Monroe, KDRP; Texas Music Matters, David Brown, KUT FM; Phil Music, Larry Monroe, KDRP; Left of the Dial, Jeff McCord, KUT FM; Horizontes, Michael Crockett, KUT FM

by Chronicle Staff

SXSW 2013 Records

Foxygen We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic (Jagjaguwar) The parents of San Franciscans Foxygen must have cut class the day they had to choose between the Beatles and Stones. Their offspring never learned the difference. Jonathan Rado and Sam France mesh Sgt. Pepper with the Rolling Stones’ Aftermath on sophomore LP…

by Chase Hoffberger

SXSW 2013 Records

Robyn Hitchcock Love From London (Yep Roc) “Rock & roll is an old man’s game now, so I’m staying in it,” asserts Robyn Hitchcock in the bio accompanying this decidedly mature work. With a stated fulcrum of love in the time of impending climate catastrophe, Love From London turns Hitchcock’s unparalleled eye for whimsically clever…

by Greg Beets

SXSW 2013 Records

Marnie Stern The Chronicles of Marnia (Kill Rock Stars) Marnie Stern’s not a force to be reckoned with; she’s the one who does the reckoning. She’s a riot grrrl raised on heavy art punk, St. Vincent shredding guitar on acid. The New Yorker’s fourth LP contorts accordingly, “Year of the Glad” opening with the same…

by Doug Freeman

Welcome to Austin! Now, Drink Some Beer.

Fireman’s 4, a blonde ale, was a local favorite long before it won an award at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF). Real Ale Brewing is nestled in the Hill Country an hour west of Austin. Pearl Snap, a German-style pils by Austin Beerworks, comes in a very Instagram-able can. Santo – with one “s”…

by Ivy Le

Ballroom Dancing

SXSW Interview: Stevie Nicks Austin Convention Center, Thursday, March 14 “I will always be a witch.” Sure, she was talking about a Halloween costume, but that statement toward the end of Stevie Nicks’ hourlong interview summed up many lingering notions about the Fleetwood Mac songstress. Like her mystery, her flamboyance, and yes, her entanglements with…

by Abby Johnston

SXSW Film

Despite gut-wrenching violence and tension, this film demands total commitment

by Jessi Cape

Best Bass

RUNNERS-UP: Bruce Hughes; Amador Salazar, Los Texas Wranglers; Ronn Roberts, the Eggmen; Danny G, Eric Tessmer Band; Alex Peterson, the Peterson Brothers; Kevin Smith, the Derailers; Omar Vallejo; Lonnie Trevino Jr.; Matt Parmenter, Quiet Company

by Chronicle Staff

Best Radio Personality

RUNNERS-UP: Paul Ray, KUT FM; Jason and Deb, 101X; John Aielli, KUT FM; Larry Monroe, KDRP FM; Matt Reilly, KUT FM; Laurie Gallardo, KUT FM; Carissa McAtee, KLBJ FM; David Brown, KUT FM; Rick McNulty, KUT FM/KOOP FM

by Chronicle Staff

SXSW 2013 Records

Tegan & Sara Heartthrob (Warner Bros.) Bicoastal Canadian twins Tegan & Sara emerge from a four-year focus on other projects with their seventh LP, a glossy song cycle of sex, devotion, and heartbreak, heavy on the heartbreak. Beginning with the naughty promise of “Closer,” which voices a transgressive assertion of female sexual desire, the duo…

by Melanie Haupt

SXSW 2013 Records

Buddy Miller & Jim Lauderdale Buddy and Jim (New West) The most surprising aspect of Buddy and Jim? It’s the longtime friends’ first album together. Like their weekly satellite radio show, the LP cuts a broad swath of Americana, the two Nashville linchpins’ close harmony duets and stellar guitar work uniting the eclecticism of styles.…

by Doug Freeman

SXSW 2013 Records

Frank Smith Nineties (Big Snow) Boston transplants Frank Smith wove Northwestern roots with Austin alt.country on three previous local releases, fusing the two most successfully on 2012’s Before You Were Born. With April full-length Nineties, the quartet takes another turn in era homage. While mostly eschewing acoustic guitars, Aaron Sinclair and company haven’t abandoned their…

by Abby Johnston

Exhibitionism

Hidden Room Theatre’s crafty techno-noir turned an ordinary audience into an army of smartphone-wielding detectives

by Robert Faires

Ballroom Dancing

SXSW Interview: Clive Davis Austin Convention Center, Thursday, March 14 One of most important record executives of the past 50 years and probably the most famous, Clive Davis held court for 90 minutes, coming across as a rich uncle with amazing friends and spectacular musical taste. Introduced by a series of video clips narrated by…

by Jim Caligiuri

Live Shots

Café Tacuba, Molotov, Bajofondo, Jovanotti Auditorium Shores, Thursday, March 14 Credit public radio’s Alt.Latino team for this missile-guided gift of a showcase to Austin and world music fans at Auditorium Shores on a perfect night with the crescent moon lit from the bottom. Just after sunset, eyes turned hopefully to the sky for a glimpse…

by Dan Oko

Best Folk

RUNNERS-UP: Dana Falconberry, Los T-Birds, Hello Wheels, Dirty River Boys, Phoebe Hunt, Whiskey Shivers, Shakey Graves, John Pointer, Texas Bluegrass Massacre

by Chronicle Staff

Best Drums/Percussion

RUNNERS-UP: Julian Fernandez, Los Texas Wranglers; Conrad Choucroun; Brannen Temple; Alex Vallejo; David Fore; Lisa Pankratz; Don Harvey; Masumi Jones; Sorne

by Chronicle Staff

Best Radio Station

RUNNERS-UP: KGSR FM 93.3; KLBJ FM 93.7; KROX FM 101.5; KDRP FM 100.1; KOOP FM 91.7; KOKE FM 98.5, 99.3; KVRX FM 91.7; BOB FM 103.5; KVET FM 98.1

by Chronicle Staff

SXSW 2013 Records

Jim James Regions of Light and Sound of God (ATO) Jim James’ solo bow, 2009’s EP of George Harrison covers under the moniker Yim Yames, excavated the Kentucky songwriter’s spiritual musing in a way unexplored with My Morning Jacket. His first proper solo LP builds both on Harrison’s introspective humility and MMJ’s cosmic bombast. Regions…

by Doug Freeman

SXSW 2013 Records

Pissed Jeans Honeys (Sub Pop) Pissed Jeans captures those moments after masturbation: messy, awkward, wondering what the hell you did to end up so alone. Over the course of three LPs, the Philly four have turned tantrums about ice cream and scrapbooking into noise-rock anthems with all the subtlety of a falling anvil. Honeys marks…

by Austin Powell

SXSW 2013 Records

Green Day ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, ¡Tré! (Reprise/Warner Bros.) Addicted to prescription medicines and alcohol, Billie Joe Armstrong spiraled out of control for the better part of two years, culminating in a violent meltdown at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas last September. You’d never know it from ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, ¡Tré!. Like the Clash following London…

by Austin Powell

SXSW Thursday Picks and Sleepers

THURSDAY PICKS CAFE TACVBA / MOLOTOV / BAJOFONDO / JOVANOTTI 5pm, Auditorium Shores Whatever you do, don’t be late. Italian superstar Jovanotti kicks off an international all-star bill with an infectious blend of hip-hop, global rhythms, and frenetic dance moves. In his maiden voyage to Austin last fall for the ACL Music Fest, the bearded…

by Chronicle Staff

Exhibitionism

Joffrey Ballet’s reconstruction of the 1913 Nijinsky ballet gave audiences a frame of reference for dance history

by Jonelle Seitz

Quote of the Week

“Are there other family members who won’t talk to me, too?” – Rachel Maddow, on how Rand Paul and father Ron Paul no longer take her calls

by Chronicle Staff

Celebrity-Spotting and People-Watching

Whole Foods Lamar (525 N. Lamar) The flagship store of the international natural-foods grocer is hands-down the best place to spot celebrities in Austin, from Ryan Gosling down by the watermelons to Gwyneth Paltrow possessing every frozen delicacy. Jo’s Coffee/Hotel San José (1300/1316 S. Congress) These two adjacent South Congress stalwarts are hipster and celebrity…

by Melanie Haupt

Ready, Aim …

Geoff Marslett’s Loves Her Gun inadvertently finds itself in the crosshairs of a political discourse

by Dan Solomon

Live Shots

Brazos Red 7, Thursday, March 14 Local trio Brazos broke a guitar string early in the second song, setting a precedent not for the band’s greenness, but rather its tenacity and wholly enveloping performance. Lead singer and guitarist Martin Crane remarked, “I never break a string,” while retuning his guitar, but that didn’t break the…

by Abby Johnston

Best Hip-Hop/Rap

RUNNERS-UP: Ray Sr., Zeale, Dubb Sicks, MC Overlord, Tee Double, Super Smash Bros., Dirty Wormz, Phranchyze, Los Bad Apples

by Chronicle Staff

Best Electric Guitar

RUNNERS-UP: Eric Tessmer; Nick Curran; Danny Matthews, Wheeler Brothers; Van Wilks; Rosie Flores; David Grissom; Charlie Sexton; Jon Sanchez; Eric Johnson

by Chronicle Staff

Best Record Store

RUNNERS-UP: End of an Ear, Cheapo Records, Turntable Records, Antone’s Record Shop, Trailer Space, Encore Records, Musicmania, Friends of Sound, Breakaway Records

by Chronicle Staff

SXSW Interview: Bobby Bare

In a career that’s lasted more than 50 years, country music veteran Bobby Bare has seen his share of ups and downs. He’s now on the upswing again thanks to the release of Darker Than Light, music he refers to as “folk country.” “I really love those old folk songs and always have,” he enthuses.…

by Jim Caligiuri

SXSW 2013 Records

Jake Bugg (Mercury) “Lightning Bolt” serves as an apt opener for Jake Bugg’s eponymous debut LP, which has already garnered the UK 18-year-old wide acclaim. Its raw electric garage folk sparks a refreshing energy and authenticity that carries into the reckless lilt and stomp of “Two Fingers” and “Taste It,” and the winding youthful delinquency…

by Doug Freeman

SXSW 2013 Records

Richard Thompson Electric (New West) The three-syllable title doesn’t fully explain Richard Thompson’s Electric. In fact, two of his 14th solo outing’s high points are acoustic ballads: “The Snow Goose,” a cloud-filled duet with Alison Krauss, and “Saving the Good Stuff for You,” as sentimental a love song as he’s ever penned. Not that there’s…

by Jim Caligiuri

SXSW 2013 Records

Rhye Woman (Loma Vista) Rhye makes brave music. It takes guts to be this open, the L.A. duo paneling its debut album with grayscale close-ups of unabashed sexuality. Toronto-born Mike Milosh unravels a feathery, helium croon. Sometimes you need to sing like a girl to get a point across, and Milosh’s point is deliberate: Woman…

by Luke Winkie

SXSW Interview: Alt-J

“I promise we’re not part of the Illuminati. We’re not prolific enough for that,” laughs Alt-J keyboardist Gus Unger-Hamilton. “And if we were part of the Illuminati, I very much doubt that we would be so obvious about it.” Leeds quartet and supposed non-members of the Illuminati, Alt-J were wrapping tour dates in Australia when…

by Abby Johnston

Exhibitionism

All three artists in this grayDUCK Gallery show present characters with a depth of backstory that amazes

by W. A. Brenner

For Those Late-Night, All-Night Cravings

Justine’s Brasserie (4710 E. Fifth) A French bistro with twinkly lights and loads of restoration charm nestled into East Austin offers a full bar and late-night menu including escargot, steak frites, duck confit, daily plates, and a kickass Royale burger. La Mexicana Bakery (1924 S. First) This 24-hour, family-owned Mexican bakery and diner quenches late…

by Jessi Cape

SXSW Film

A story about family � the ones we’re born into and the ones we create for ourselves

by Jordan Smith

Ballroom Dancing

Leonard Cohen and His Women Austin Convention Center, Thursday, March 14 The impact of the XX chromosome carriers on Leonard Cohen splays out in his lyrics and the occasional tabloid-style story about his life. Qualifying exactly what it is about women that sparks his art proved a challenge. With moderation from biographer Sylvie Simmons, singers…

by Michael Toland

Best Indie

RUNNERS-UP: Marmalakes, Sorne, Whitman, Quiet Company, The Midgetmen, Wheeler Brothers, The Eastern Sea, Mother Falcon, O Conqueror

by Chronicle Staff

Best Female Vocals

RUNNERS-UP: Teal Collins, the Whiskey Sisters; Kelsey Wilson; Barbara Nesbitt, the Whiskey Sisters; Akina Adderley; Gina Chavez; Dana Falconberry; Emily Gimble; Cella Blue, White Ghost Shivers; Tameca Jones

by Chronicle Staff

SXSW Saturday Showcases

Monofonus Press 7pm, Hideout Wonder if Austin’s legitimately weird and who’s keeping it so? Park here. Multimedia publishing house Monofonus Press prints small runs of carefully packaged literary works and various LP oddities, with a catalog that runs the gamut from Tim Kerr paintings to weird interactive video games on YouTube. This showcase runs the…

by Chronicle Staff

SXSW 2013 Records

Chris Stamey Lovesick Blues (Yep Roc) After last year’s dB’s reunion, those looking to Chris Stamey for another dose of jangle might be surprised by Lovesick Blues. Neither blues, nor a guitar album for that matter, it’s an introspective LP full of muted colors, orchestral sweeps, and choral harmonies. It’s different from anything he’s attempted…

by Jim Caligiuri

SXSW 2013 Records

Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell Old Yellow Moon (Nonesuch) They first met in 1974, and later he joined her legendary Hot Band as guitarist and harmony singer. Although Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell today celebrate long, successful careers, they always wanted to record together, and nearly 40 years on comes Old Yellow Moon. The project…

by Jim Caligiuri

SXSW 2013 Records

The Staves Dead & Born & Grown (Atlantic) Highlighting harmonies right up front, the Staves open their debut a cappella on “Wisely & Slow.” While UK trio of sisters Emily, Jessica, and Camilla Staveley-Taylor prove natural complements, they offer little beyond that and subdued folk. Meditative almost to a fault on “Gone Tomorrow,” “The Motherlode,”…

by Doug Freeman

SXSW Interview: Dikes of Holland

What’s the best garage punk band in Austin do when 2,000 bands from around the world descend on the city where they generally play six shows in a month? Try to keep things as close to commonplace as possible. They drink canned beers, they hang out outside venues, they bring the mayhem. This week, Dikes…

by Chase Hoffberger

Live Shots

Föllakzoid Hotel Vegas, Thursday, March 14 Though a country with a rich cultural history, Chile is so far away from the world of rock it might as well be in another star system. So it only makes sense that Santiago boasts one of the best new cosmic rock bands in ages. With an excellent new…

by Michael Toland

Best Instrumental

RUNNERS-UP: Explosions in the Sky, Calm Blue Sea, My Education, Tia Carrera, The Mighty Landshark!, A Is Red, Sheer Khan & the Space Case, Thomas McGregor, Progress

by Chronicle Staff

Best Horn Player(s)

RUNNERS-UP: Elias Haslanger; Oliver Steck; Jeff Lofton; Tito Carrillo; Grooveline Horns; Fresh 2 Def Horns; Cody Ackors, Quiet Company; Jon Doyle; John Mills

by Chronicle Staff

SXSW 2013 Records

Billy Bragg Tooth and Nail (Cooking Vinyl) “This is how the end begins,” intones Billy Bragg softly on “January Song,” opening track to the venerable UK songwriter’s first studio album in five years. Less a pessimistic declaration than a call for release, the tune sets a contemplative tone that rings throughout, whether on the politically…

by Doug Freeman

SXSW 2013 Records

The Relatives The Electric Word (Yep Roc) The saga of the Relatives offers a testament to the perseverance of spirit. Almost lost to history, the band’s entire recorded output was reissued for 2009 anthology Don’t Let Me Fall, an absolute masterpiece of Texas gospel soul that inspired an ongoing reunion. After more than three decades,…

by Austin Powell

SXSW 2013 Records

Jacco Gardner Cabinet of Curiosities (Trouble in Mind) Four decades after the fact, Syd Barrett’s London Underground joins forces with Curt Boettcher’s West Coast pop on the streets of Amsterdam. Gardner, a 24-year-old Dutch multi-instrumentalist playing everything but the drums here, goes deep down the rabbit hole of psychedelic pastiche. Even so, he never completely…

by Greg Beets

SXSW Thursday Showcases

Small Stone Records 7pm, Headhunters Patio Detroit indie Small Stone cornered the market on weed-fed power rock, celebrating its 10th anniversary at SXSW this year with a diverse lineup highlighting recent recruits. Boston’s Mellow Bravo begins with burly rock informed as much by the Faces as by heavier inspirations. Surviving the late Scissorfight, Supermachine stomps…

by Chase Hoffberger, Michael Toland, Melanie Haupt, Jim Caligiuri, Tim Stegall, Austin Powell, Thomas Fawcett and Dan Oko

Places That Still Take Reservations in Casual-Town, Texas

Asti (408 E. 43rd, 451-1218) is a local treasure, family owned and serving authentic Italian food with cutting-edge preparation and focusing on fresh, local ingredients. Clark’s Oyster Bar (1200 W. Sixth, 297-2525) is a small, white-tiled spot with perfect seafood and a small but incredibly well chosen wine list. High-rollers will enjoy the Cham­pagne and…

by Wes Marshall

Day Party Crawl

Reverberation Appreciation Society Hotel Vegas, Thursday, March 14 Equate this wild circus to Austin’s Psych Fest on speed. Twenty-seven bands over three stages in six hours, with some (VietNam, Terakaft) getting 35 minutes and others (Stagnant Pools, Valleys, Talk Normal) logging merely 20 minutes of work. Between the droning, psychedelic sprints, short-enders barely got time…

by Chase Hoffberger

Best Jazz

RUNNERS-UP: Ephraim Owens, White Ghost Shivers, Jitterbug Vipers, Black Red Black, Tito Carrillo, Jeff Lofton, The Vintage 15, Kat Edmonson, Hot Texas Swing Band

by Chronicle Staff

Best Keyboards

RUNNERS-UP: Steve Silvas, Los Texas Wranglers; Basil McJagger, the Derailers; A.J. Vincent, the Bright Light Social Hour; Tom Burgess, the Eggmen; Kris KeyZ; Earl Poole Ball; Marcia Ball; Oliver Steck; Kyle Johnson, Whitman

by Chronicle Staff

SXSW 2013 Records

Ratking Wiki93 (XL Recordings) Ratking bands together four Manhattan teenagers, but the group’s debut EP gears directly toward group kingpin Wiki. Produced by Gotham grime addict Sporting Life, Wiki93 flaunts seven tracks rapped almost entirely by the nasal 18-year-old, all rooted in the juvenile delinquency of graffiti, excessive blunts, Cam’ron’s Diplomats, and city mischief. There’s…

by Chase Hoffberger

SXSW 2013 Records

Alt-J An Awesome Wave (Atlantic) If listening to the hypnotic bounce of “Breezeblocks” in an information vacuum, you could be excused for assuming Alt-J was the trip-hop moniker of some South London alternative rapper named Jerome. In fact, Alt-J remains a bespectacled quartet of former Leeds University art students who spent their spare time crafting…

by Thomas Fawcett

SXSW 2013 Records

FIDLAR (Mom + Pop) Imagine the Black Lips at their most juvenile, or the 13th Floor Elevators huffing paint instead of dropping acid. That’s FIDLAR in a shitty pill, the L.A. skate-punk outfit embodying its namesake acronym: “Fuck It, Dog, Life’s a Risk.” The quartet’s self-titled debut offers one cheap thrill after another – short,…

by Austin Powell

Kickin’ It Old School: Historic Dining in the ATX

Scholz Garten (1607 San Jacinto) Austin’s oldest outdoor biergarten and dining hall was built by German immigrant August Scholz in 1866 as a place for the large local German population to eat, drink, and discuss politics. They still serve some traditional German dishes alongside nachos, burgers, and more. Dirty Martin’s Place (2808 Guadalupe) John Martin…

by MM Pack

Day Party Crawl

Heartbreaker Banquet Willie Nelson’s Luck, Texas, Thursday, March 14 Willie Nelson’s Luck, Texas, was originally built in 1986 on his ranch in Spicewood to serve as the film set for Red Headed Stranger. Legend says the original script had the town burning down, but Nelson wouldn’t allow it. Good thing, as the Heartbreaker Banquet, now…

by Doug Freeman

Live Shots

The Legendary Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section: The Swampers Stage on Sixth Patio, Thursday, March 14 Their set list read like that of a wedding band from the Seventies. Yet these guys were the originators. The riffs they played and grooves they laid down were their own. The Swampers these days are bassist David Hood and…

by Jim Caligiuri

The Luv Doc: The LuvDoc’s SXSW Tip Sheet

The LuvDoc’s SXSW Tip Sheet 1. Wherever you roll, roll strong. Laminates, badges, wristbands, and stickers are for losers with no game. You think Obama wears a laminate that says “President?” Exactly. Remember: There’s no replacement for confidence … well … OK … unless it’s actual credentials. 2. Never pay for anything … Huge companies…

by The Luv Doc

Best Latin Rock

RUNNERS-UP: Los Texas Wranglers, Gina Chavez, Del Castillo, Vallejo, Vitera, Grupo Fantasma, Los Lonely Boys, 24-7, Patricia Vonne

by Chronicle Staff

Best Male Vocals

RUNNERS-UP: Tje Austin; Jirod Greene, Suite 709; Bob Schneider; Nolan Wheeler, Wheeler Brothers; Sorne; Guy Forsyth; Nick Curran; Malford Milligan; Dale Watson

by Chronicle Staff

SXSW 2013 Records

Hayden Us Alone (Arts & Crafts) Hayden Desser’s voice carries a weary emotional weight, seeping through cracks of forgotten walls where the tentative warble and hesitant confessions convey more than lingering words. The Torontonian’s seventh LP fills with those moments, yet also a veiled levity, as on opener “Motel” when he admits, “I can’t go…

by Doug Freeman

SXSW 2013 Records

Useless Eaters Hypertension (Jeffery Drag) What makes Useless Eaters’ dangerously hip pastiche of post-punk jitters and nuclear-winterized angst sound fresh? The lingering undertones of voracious Memphis garage-rock primitivism. Lead Eater Seth Sutton accompanied the late Jay Reatard on his final tour, and the sneering, tossed-off ambience of Hypertension bears unmistakable evidence of that association. The…

by Greg Beets

SXSW 2013 Records

Dawes Stories Don’t End (Hub) To change things up a bit, Dawes got away from its Southern California homebase to record in Asheville, N.C. There’s some growth evident, but third disc Stories Don’t End doesn’t really take the quartet that far from its trademark Seventies, life-in-Laurel-Canyon sound. New influences are evident in the anthemic jangle…

by Jim Caligiuri

SXSW Friday Picks and Sleepers

FRIDAY PICKS FLAMING LIPS / JIM JAMES / DIVINE FITS 6pm, Auditorium Shores Until now, free SXSW concerts down on the waterline count Ice Cube (in town this year as well), and the riot that was the Strokes as attendance kings. Here come the Okie challengers. Divine Fits, Spoon principal Britt Daniel, ex-Handsome Furs Dan…

by Chronicle Staff

Oops!

A photo caption that appeared in last week’s SXSWedu coverage misidentified a table display at the conference. The image wasn’t of the MAKE magazine booth; rather, it was the Austin Children’s Museum booth, with Prinda Wanakule, a technology education intern, pictured.

by Chronicle Staff

Live Shots

Sound City Players Stubb’s, Thursday, March 14 Dave Grohl has the hardest-working Rolodex in rock & roll. The soundtrack to his directorial debut Sound City, a documentary film about the L.A. studio that produced landmark albums by Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, and Nirvana, among countless others, could be considered the hard-rock counterpoint to his collaborative…

by Austin Powell

West of Memphis

Eighteen years of wrongful imprisonment and four documentaries still don’t put to rest the trials of the West Memphis Three.

by Leah Churner

Band of the Year

RUNNERS-UP: Wheeler Brothers, The Trishas, Bob Schneider, Ruthie Foster, Alejandro Escovedo, The Whiskey Sisters, Quiet Company, Suite 709, Sorne

by Chronicle Staff

Best Latin Traditional

RUNNERS-UP: Los Texas Wranglers, Trio Los Vigilantes, Grupo Fantasma, El Tule, Del Castillo, Hector Ward & the Big Time, Los Pinkys, Manuel “Cowboy” Donley & His Trio Romantico, Austin Samba School

by Chronicle Staff

Best Songwriter

RUNNERS-UP: Bob Schneider; Barbara Nesbitt, the Whiskey Sisters; James McMurtry; Taylor Muse, Quiet Company; Ray Wylie Hubbard; Alejandro Escovedo; Alexander Beggins, Wild Child; Julian Fernandez, Los Texas Wranglers; Ram Vela, Whitman

by Chronicle Staff

SXSW 2013 Records

Spain The Soul of Spain (Diamond Soul) Los Angeles quintet Spain found its biggest audience in Europe, so stateside audiences can be forgiven for not noticing the group’s death and resurrection. A shame, that, since The Soul of Spain finds their moody 3am rock sounding stronger than in its Nineties heyday. An unabashed romantic, bassist/bandleader…

by Michael Toland

SXSW 2013 Records

Josh Rouse The Happiness Waltz (Yep Roc) Josh Rouse has roamed as far musically as he has geographically, reflected through his 1998 debut, Dressed Up Like Nebraska, 2005’s Nashville, and 2010’s El Turista after settling in Spain. His 10th LP hearkens more to the robust Seventies soft rock that he explored with 1972, and likewise…

by Doug Freeman

SXSW 2013 Records

Metz (Sub Pop) “Metz” may call up images of a nebbish accountant feverishly crunching numbers on an ancient desktop (it’s actually the name of a French city), but the Vancouver trio bearing this unassuming sobriquet is more likely to throw the computer out the window and kick the desk over. It’s a simple sell: Alex…

by Michael Toland

SXSW Interview: Fat Tony

Last month, Houston rapper Fat Tony arrived home from a New York City mini-tour to discover that a guy named Mark Spencer had declared him “Mind Cancer.” Spencer chose as his critical venue a YouTube video for the party track “Like, Hell Yeah.” “He is the epitome of everything that is wrong with America,” wrote…

by Dan Oko

LegeLines

Check That Gun From 2007-2009, Texas ranked fourth in the country in the export of guns used in crime, according to Mayors Against Illegal Guns. This, in part, is likely due to the ease with which guns are purchased in the state – including by straw purchasers at gun shows, where it’s easy to load…

by Jordan Smith

Here’s the Cheese: Chile Con Queso Options

Chuy’s (1728 Barton Springs Rd.) Definitive Tex-Mex chile con queso here: smooth with green chiles, Ranchero sauce, and endless warm chips. Matt’s El Rancho (2613 S. Lamar) Just say “Gimme a Large Bob” for Matt’s famous Bob Armstrong Dip, which claims to have been the first to add pico de gallo, guacamole, and ground beef…

by Gracie Salem

Day Party Crawl

Can’t Stop The Bleeding Beerland, Thursday, March 14 With the right band at the right time, Beerland’s the greatest place on Earth, a shotgun bunker for all things punk. At Can’t Stop the Bleeding, a loose 12XU showcase expertly curated by resident Matador Records co-founder Gerard Cosloy, that honor fell to Unholy Two. The Columbus,…

by Austin Powell

Live Shots

Public Enemy, Doug E. Fresh Doritos Bold Stage, Thursday, March 14 White people. Red carpets. Hors d’oeuvres wrapped in bacon. High heels. Up-dos. Push-up bras. Dudes who may be yachters. Pepsi products. Jack Daniels gratis. Stacks upon stacks of Doritos Nacho Cheese corn chips. Thursday night on Fifth Street was a SXSW showcase, but make…

by Chase Hoffberger

Dead Man Down

Noomi Rapace, the original Lisbeth Salander, reunites with her The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo director for this NYC gangland thriller starring Colin Farrell.

by Kimberley Jones

Best New Band

RUNNERS-UP: Gina Chavez, Residual Kid, Whitman, Whiskey Shivers, Bobby Jealousy, Shakey Graves, O Conqueror, Moonlight Social, Dirty River Boys

by Chronicle Staff

Best Metal

RUNNERS-UP: The Sword, Broken Teeth, Eagle Claw, Snake Skin Prison, Powderburn, Black Ladder, Blood for Master, Thunderosa, Lucid Dementia

by Chronicle Staff

Best String Players

RUNNERS-UP: John Pointer; Haydn Vitera, violin; Ruby Jane Smith, fiddle; Tosca String Quartet; Phoebe Hunt, fiddle; Will Taylor, violin; Sarah Jarosz, clawhammer banjo; Mother Falcon; Diana Burgess, cello

by Chronicle Staff

SXSW 2013 Records

Nick Cave Push the Sky Away (Bad Seeds Ltd.) Nick Cave reassembled the Bad Seeds – minus Mick Harvey – but the unlikely sound of him singing softly over rhythmic electronic blips leaves the impression he stepped into Danger Mouse’s studio on his way to the Push the Sky Away sessions. A virtuoso of rage…

by Dan Oko

SXSW 2013 Records

Strangers Persona Non Grata (Shock) The Strangers bring thunder from Down Under like they belong to the Seattle class of ’87. Or maybe 1992. Veteran Aussie producer Tom Larkin (Calling All Cars) develops a sound too airy and clean for the fivepiece from Sydney to qualify as pure grunge, but these hard rockers have chops.…

by Dan Oko

SXSW 2013 Records

Kinski Cosy Moments (Kill Rock Stars) Despite crackling to life in a lava bath of disintegrating guitar feedback, Kinski’s sixth album takes a tentative step back from the apocalyptic post-rock pedigree. The Seattle quartet’s hammer-down instrumental passages still evoke epic notions of riff-rock transcendence, but only three of the 10 tracks on Cosy Moments break…

by Greg Beets

SXSW 2013 Records

Haim Forever (Columbia) Pavlovian conditioning from the Brady and Partridge families causes us to cringe when we hear “family band,” but California quartet Haim may rewire that reaction. Along with drummer Dash Hutton, the three Haim sisters make percussion-heavy harmonizing that leaves a clear impression despite the three-song Forever EP being their only release. “Better…

by Abby Johnston

SXSW Friday Showcases

M for Montreal 7:30pm, Swan Dive Where Thursday’s Montreal showcase cartwheeled experimentation, tonight’s Arbutus Records-heavy showcase leads with romance and introspection. A slightly sleazy start comes in the person of 22-year-old solo act Mac DeMarco, whose languid raunch-pop he dubs “jizz jazz.” Singer-songwriter Sean Nicholas Savage sweetens things with electro-confessional folk on the upcoming Other…

by Melanie Haupt, Kevin Curtin, Michael Toland and Chase Hoffberger

Off the Beaten Path

Finding these spots may take some time and a cab ride, but they’re all well worth the effort. Fonda San Miguel (2330 W. North Loop) Long recognized as one of the finest Mexican restaurants in the country, Fonda combines fabulous Interior Mexican food with a museum-quality folk art collection and a relaxing and colorful ambience.…

by Kate Thornberry

Playback

Sport’n a Woody Billed as “Music that college students love,” the mtvU Woodie Awards lineup came off more like the soundtrack to a beer-pong sesh than cutting-edge college radio material. Hosted by the incongruent personalities of rapper Machine Gun Kelly and indie-pop sister act Tegan & Sara, the award ceremony aspect was hardly noticeable. “There’s…

by Kevin Curtin

My SXSW

Got into town late Wednesday night on a flight from Nashville. As usual, I could hardly sleep. The first 18 times I did South by Southwest, having trouble sleeping was out of nerves for the shows. This time it wasn’t nerves, but excitement. And I guess out of habit. Just looking at the Chronicle and…

by Chronicle Staff

Musician of the Year

RUNNERS-UP: Ruthie Foster, Bob Schneider, Alejandro Escovedo, Ben Kweller, Nick Curran, Tje Austin, Eric Tessmer, Elias Haslanger, Rosie Flores

by Chronicle Staff

Best None of the Above

RUNNERS-UP: Mother Falcon, Bob Schneider & the Moonlight Orchestra, Sorne, Los T-Birds, John Pointer, More Cowbell, Trio del Rio, Girl Guitar, Minor Mishap Marching Band

by Chronicle Staff

SXSW Film

This first-timer’s film is a funny, finely executed road trip of love, loss, and culture clashes

by Amy Smith

Playback

Rumor Has It Yesterday morning, I called Governor Rick Perry’s office for comment on a widespread rumor that Daft Punk would play a surprise show at the Capitol that night. Perry was unavailable, so they referred me to the State Preservation Board, whose events coordinator, Robert Davis, answered the phone with, “I think I know…

by Kevin Curtin

Ballroom Dancing

SXSW Interview: Depeche Mode Austin Convention Center, Wednesday, March 13 To give an idea of British electro giant Depeche Mode’s influence, panel moderator and KCRW Music Director Jason Bentley recently gave an interview about his upcoming interrogation with the band. The Essex trio landed at SXSW for the first time with this panel appearance and…

by Abby Johnston

Live Shots

Rough Francis Holy Mountain, Wednesday, March 13 Despite a half-full house, Rough Francis opened the indoor portion of Enabler PR’s showcase with an intensity fit for Detroit’s Grande Ballroom. The Vermont-based sextet – featuring three sons of bassist/vocalist Bobby Hackney from Motor City protopunk sibling trio Death – draw deeply upon their heritage while giving…

by Greg Beets

Ballroom Dancing

SXSW Interview: Jim James Austin Convention Center, Wednesday, March 13 Few artists seem as omnipresent this week as Jim James. Taking a breather from showcasing his new solo album, Regions of Light and Sound of God, to sit down with MTV’s Bill Flanagan only reinforced the My Morning Jacket frontman as music’s ubiquitous Walt Whitman.…

by Doug Freeman

Live Shots

Kendrick Lamar 1100 Warehouse, Wednesday, March 13 Chants of “fuck that shit” echoed down Fifth Street as a SXSW staffer parlayed news that West Coast rap’s grand prince Kendrick Lamar already held an at-capacity crowd inside 1100 Warehouse, 45 minutes before show. 750 fit inside, 300 stood out, and that smaller sampling went altogether bonkers…

by Chase Hoffberger

Ballroom Dancing

A Conversation with Nick Cave Austin Convention Center, Tuesday, March 12 Assuming the audience already knew the salient details, author Larry “Ratso” Sloman took Australian icon Nick Cave through a haphazardly swirled chronology of his life and work that was informative and occasionally revelatory. Cave described the death of his father during his troubled adolescence…

by Chronicle Staff

Live Shots

Iggy & the Stooges Mohawk, Wednesday, March 13 You can all go home now. The conference is over. The world’s greatest rock & roll band has played. No one else matters. Iggy Pop wanted to debut material from the 40-years-overdue follow-up to Raw Power at SXSW. He got his wish, even forcing bassist Mike Watt…

by Tim Stegall

Live Shots

The ALLAH-Las North Door, Wednesday, March 13 The haters might say that California slowly stagnates. How many beaming, flowery, Golden State garage-pop bands can truly flourish? The Fresh & Onlys, Sonny & the Sunsets, White Fence – the songs are good, but can we remain nonjudgmental in the face of such redundancy? I thought about…

by Luke Winkie

Day Party Crawl

Guitartown/Conqueroo Molotov/Dogwood, Wednesday, March 13 Publicist Cary Baker’s free shindig annually enlivens the day parties with a mix of vets and up-and-comers. Roaring through classics and tunes from the upcoming American Ride, Willie Nile served a potent reminder of the chills induced by a true believer. Temporarily eschewing the minichamber orchestra that powers Lovesick Blues,…

by Michael Toland

Live Shots

People of Letters 18th Floor Hilton Garden Inn, Tuesday, March 12 Australian literary salon People of Letters served as the intersection of literature and music at SXSW, with writers sharing letters based on the theme, “To the Thing I Wish I’d Written.” Brooklyn-based Jenny Owen Youngs addressed Nirvana’s Nevermind, effectively a künstlerroman of a young…

by Melanie Haupt

Day Party Crawl

Show No Mercy Mohawk, Wednesday, March 13 Royal Thunder just broke out. The Atlanta power trio’s gothic proto-metal surges with stadium appeal – huge hooks, thick grooves, and a rhythm section locked in perpetual motion for the majority of last year’s excellent CVI (Relapse). Bassist Mlny Parsonz proved a marquee R&B belter in disguise, a…

by Austin Powell

Live Shots

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds Stubb’s, Wednesday, March 13 Nick Cave strode onstage clad in black, promised darkness by the end of the first song, and delivered a searing and emphatic nine-song set to a jam-packed amphitheatre. His voice in fine timbre and his supporting players fully engaged, the 55-year-old punk launched things with…

by Dan Oko

Day Party Crawl

Consequences of Sound Parish, Wednesday, March 13 The Parish was impressively packed all day for Consequence of Sound’s second annual CoSigns party, not bad for a blog that thrives on its own modesty. It takes resonant prestige to welcome in a luminary like Thurston Moore. The indie-rock lifer’s new band Chelsea Light Moving slops and…

by Luke Winkie

Live Shots

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Belmont, Tuesday, March 12 “I remember being here a couple years ago standing in a bigass line with no wristband trying to get in,” Seattle rapper Macklemore recalled before his at-capacity headlining set for the Warner Sound showcase Tuesday. A lot has changed in a couple years. After a fairly anonymous…

by Thomas Fawcett

Live Shots

Mike Scott & Steve Wickham, Billy Bragg St. David’s Historic Sanctuary, Wednesday, March 13 A 20-minute delay at the outset seemed inconsequential when compared to the wait local Waterboys fans had to endure for an appearance by Mike Scott. The Scotsman’s hourlong performance began with him cheerfully reading episodes from his recent memoir, Adventures of…

by Jim Caligiuri

Live Shots

2012/2013 Austin Music Awards Austin Music Hall, Wednesday, March 13 “Austin’s changed, it’s true, but show me what hasn’t,” challenges Alejandro Escovedo on “Bottom of the World” from last year’s Big Station. As he took the stage with Wild Seeds and fellow True Believers Jon Dee Graham and Javier Escovedo to open the 2012/2013 Austin…

by Doug Freeman

My SXSW

It’s hot in Austin, and after landing at our hotel, Wickham and I go for a stroll in our shirt sleeves. Denny’s and Starbucks are across the street. No contest. After our coffee and croissants, we stick our noses into Denny’s anyway and smell the cooking fat. It’s the tang of the Fifties, I imagine,…

by Chronicle Staff

Live Shots

Natalie Maines ACL Live at the Moody Theater, Wednesday, March 13 Dixie Chicks frontwoman Natalie Maines breaks her recording silence with the May 7 release Mother, jump-starting her solo career as a full-blown Southwest rocker. She previewed the album with her hourlong set at the austere Moody Theater, along with friend and project collaborator Ben…

by Abby Johnston

MOJO Recommends: TOY

TOY Cedar Street Courtyard, 9pm; Hotel Vegas Patio, 12:45am In 1963, the dawning of a new mind-expanding era was signaled by the founding of The Psychedelic Review, a U.S. publication under the stewardship of Harvard academic Ralph Metzner, with Timothy Leary as contributing editor, questioning “the age-old issue of freedom versus control” in its very…

by Chronicle Staff

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